Axillary Fox-Fordyce-like disease induced by laser hair removal therapy

Fox–Fordyce Disease: An under‐diagnosed adverse event of laser hair removal?

“…Fox–Fordyce Disease (FFD), also known as apocrine miliaria, is a rare chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting apocrine glands . It mainly affects post‐pubertal women between 13 and 35 years of age . It is rarely reported prior to puberty, after menopause or in men .…”

“…Patients typically present with persistent skin‐coloured to yellowish, perifollicular, pruritic, uniform papular skin lesions with associated hypotrichosis and hyperkeratosis . The clinical presentation of FFD is suggested to be secondary to an interruption of apocrine sweat secretions due to keratinocytes dysmaturation that leads to follicular hyperkeratosis and the formation of a keratin plug at the point of insertion of the apocrine duct . The interruption of sweat secretions will lead to a dilation of the apocrine glands and the extravasation of sweat to the surrounding tissue with subsequent spongiosis and inflammation .…”

“…In all reported cases as well as in our patients, laser‐induced FFD lesions had similar morphology as compared to classic FFD. Itching, which is suggested to be secondary to inflammation caused by the spewed sweat, often precedes the appearance of the papules . Stress, excitement, exercise and hot weather are the main exacerbating factors .…”

“…Fox–Fordyce Disease (FFD) is a rare chronic inflammatory skin disease of the apocrine glands, mainly affecting post‐pubertal women . It involves apocrine gland‐bearing areas including the axilla, areola, anogenital area and umbilicus . It is characterized by multiple, skin‐coloured to yellowish, perifollicular, usually pruritic, uniform papular skin lesions with associated hypotrichosis and hyperkeratosis .…”

“…There are a lot of controversies concerning its pathogenesis which remains unknown. Fox–Fordyce disease has been reported to occur after completing a series of axillary hair removal . The pathogenesis of laser hair removal‐induced FFD is still unknown.…”